


i need you here to stay

by moonplums



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alpha Uchiha Shisui, Alpha Uzumaki Naruto, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Arranged Marriage, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Trauma, Dissociation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Intersex Male Omegas, Kidnapping, M/M, Mental Health Issues, No Uchiha Massacre, Omega Uchiha Itachi, Omega Uchiha Sasuke, Pining, Pregnancy, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, War, sasuke and itachi never became ninjas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:40:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27873174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonplums/pseuds/moonplums
Summary: Sasuke has too many things to worry about. His brothers insufferable husband, his parents absence, making sure there was enough materials and food going around for the villages war efforts. The very last thing he should be worrying about was love. He knows.//Itachi was pretty sure he wanted for too much. For Sasuke to not lose himself in his desire to help the home front, for his parents to come home alive, for his child to be healthy, for the war to come to a quick end, and for his husband to love him back. Still, he hoped he got everything he desired.
Relationships: Uchiha Itachi/Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 41
Kudos: 209





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> im gonna be p vague about the war for now, i think. i still havent decided if its more like the fourth war (but with a lot of changes, obviously) or if its the different villages that are at war with one another 
> 
> this will (probably) be equal parts sns and shiita, so if you like one but not the other, idk what to tell you elekekfnf
> 
> pls read all the tags. as always, i'll be adding more as i go along

“Do you need help with that?”

Sasuke looked up with an annoyed hiss to meet the literal sun beaming down at him. A whiskered face with azure eyes and a grin unbefitting of the times stood on the outside of the wagon, arms folded on top of the wall of the wagon bed. He wore an all too familiar high collared black undershirt and a green flak jacket zipped just to below his collarbones. 

He vaguely recognized him as the son of the Hokage, he was pretty sure their mothers were friends too, but other than that, he knew little else about the alpha who seemed to be standing on his tiptoes so he could look inside to see what Sasuke was doing. 

“No thanks,” Sasuke laid down on his stomach and slithered himself further down the floor of the wagon so he could try and reach between the tarp covered box and the wall to find the rope he was searching for. 

His fingers shook and strained as they wiggled around to find purchase, a curse on the top of his lips when another hand overtook his and grabbed the rope out. His eyes narrowed when the rope was placed in his searching hand and he quickly stood up onto his knees, pulling the rope out with him. 

The big blonde alpha was still grinning like a fool down at him, the next rope Sasuke would have had to look for already in his hand and held out to Sasuke. 

“Did you need something?” Sasuke wondered as he climbed up onto his feet and straddled the box of woven blankets. Sasuke did his best to not look at him, but his eyes kept flashing back to him as he did his best to make a tight knot. 

“I just wanted to see what you were doing.”

His hands were knotted and shaky from overwork. There was little else he did these days then run about the village, pulling vegetables, picking fruit, weaving blankets, sewing up flak jackets, hand washing blood out of sheets and clothes, packing up materials to be sent out. This was just one of many supply runs he had helped prepare that week. 

Anyone would tell him not to complain. He had it easy compared to those who were currently fighting in the war. 

The alphas lips pulled upwards, and then he jumped up into the wagon, sitting on the side and giving the whole thing a little shake. Sasuke cursed and held onto the box to keep his balance. He had always thought ninja were supposed to move without disruption. At least, that was the impression he had gotten from his parents. 

He came from a clan of ninja, but he himself was not one. Neither was his elder brother. It wasn't unusual for clans to have those who weren't interested in the position. There was always a need for those to do other work. 

Itachi and he had always been a bit of an oddity. They were the sons of a clan head, it was probably expected for them to train to be shinobi, but neither of them had done the full journey through the academy and everything that came afterwards. 

Itachi wanted to be a seamstress. He had been one, until the war had begun. He mostly worked out of his own bedroom, but he had made a good amount of business. He spent nearly all his time weaving and sewing and knitting for others nowadays, but at a much larger demand that paid very little. 

Sasuke knew everyone had to do their part, but it hurt to see his brother have to turn away from the jobs he had adored taking apart it to sew up flak jackets that their ninja would probably end up wearing to their deaths. 

Thankfully, the burden on his brothers shoulders had hindered a little. Itachi was only weeks away from giving birth, and in times of war, any new baby that came along to add to the dwindling population was appreciated and adored, a little beam of sunshine in the darkened skies that their lives had all become. 

His work hours had decreased, and his time spent relaxing was becoming more potent. 

It would have made him feel better. If only his brother wasn't so stubborn and insistent on wanting to help. 

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Sasuke asked, but there was little bite.

It had been awhile since he had last slept. At least a day, a day and a half. There was much pressure to get everything done in time, because too much time away from the front was certainly time wasted. Those who had been sent to retrieve the wagons of supplies would quickly be needed back after just a night of rest. 

“What's that?” The alpha asked instead of replying, and then, seeming to realize something, his eyes widened and he blushed. “I’m Uzumaki Naruto, by the way.” 

Huh. He could have sworn it was Menma. Both ramen toppings. He was close enough. 

“Uchiha Sasuke.” 

“Yeah, I know.” He leaned a bit closer, as if he was getting into their barely formed conversation. “Our moms are friends.” It seemed he had been right about that, at least. 

“Uh-huh.” Sasuke agreed, finally tying off the knot and swinging his leg from one side of the box so he could slide on top of the next one. Like this, he realized, it was a bit easier to find the ropes he was looking for. He told those idiots it would have been better to tie the boxes up before they attached the ropes to the bottom of the bed, but of course no one had listened. 

“And you have a big brother, right?” Naruto looked starry eyed for just a minute. “The really pretty one.” 

Sasuke’s glaring eyes snapped up from where he had been trying to form a knot. “Excuse me?” His voice lowered. He knew times of war were lonely, but if this alpha thought he could come back and snap at anyone's ankles and get whatever he wanted, he was solely mistaken. 

Sasuke didn't care if he was no match for a properly trained shinobi. He would pitch a fuss until whoever needed it had it coming to them. 

Naruto's starry eyes faded and he suddenly met Sasuke's eyes with an innocent smile he didn't trust for a second. “You two look alike, you know?”

He did know. Everyone said how much Itachi and he took after their mother. 

Despite their close appearance, that had never stopped people from always preferring Itachi just a bit more. 

“And what about it?” Sasuke snapped, slamming down the ropes into a heap at the alphas feet. Naruto made a half squealing sound and quickly lifted them up out of the way. 

In the past, he had never really cared that alphas overlooked him to look at his brother, as long as they kept their distance from him, but something about this was pissing him off. 

It was different now, he rationalized. Itachi was going to have a baby soon. That was a clear enough sign to leave him alone. 

The alpha frantically began to wave his hands around, a wordless jumble of words falling from his lips as he searched for something coherent to say. 

Sasuke finished tying off the ropes while he fumbled for his life and bent over to try and get out the next pair. They were caught under the box and he cursed as he tried to get them out. 

“I just meant, like, I know him. I mean...uh, I know you guys. So I wanted to come and help you, if I can.”

Sasuke sighed and leaned back to look up at the alpha. He was standing tall and Sasuke was down on his knees, and as soon as he realized that, a series of thoughts much to inappropriate for the current times overcame him and he felt his face warm. 

“Sasuke? Did you have your lunch yet?”

Both their necks snapped around to the end of the wagon. 

A head of glossy black hair poked out of a high zipped up winter coat, eyes dark and gentle, red flushed lips turned up into a gentle smile. 

“Itachi,” Sasuke said, jumping down from the wagon and meeting his brother back on flat earth. “What are you doing out here?” A light snowfall was swirling down around them, catching on Itachi's long, loose hair and his curled, thick eyelashes. 

Sasuke reached forward to tighten Itachi's scarf around him and then pulled up his hood so he would be covered. He gave it a good shake to dislodge some of the snowy flakes and pulled on the strings of the hood to tighten it up a bit. 

“Where's your hat and gloves?” Sasuke fussed. 

Itachi just smiled and reached forward to adjust Sasuke's hat for him in return. 

“I’m plenty warm.”

Sasuke looked down at the ground, nose wrinkling when he noticed how the ends of Itachi's skirt were hanging to the ground and were wet at the edges from where snow had caught on and melted. 

This one was much too floaty from this time of year. He knew that there weren't many that still fit over Itachi's swollen stomach, but he had made sure to wash the few thick, fitted winter ones a few nights ago because he knew it would soon begin to snow. 

“Oh, Naruto-kun, you’re looking well.” Itachi stepped away from Sasuke and towards the alpha who was sitting on the edge of the lowered ending of the wagon bed. Itachi's smile was as sincere and breathtaking as ever. 

The alpha's eyes widened a bit, as if he was surprised Itachi had recognized him, or knew his name. 

“I’m glad to see you in one piece.” Itachi's eyes dimmed as those words left him. Sasuke watched as he cast a look around to see everyone that was mulling about. 

Sasuke knew who he was hoping to see, but he had no idea why. 

Naruto seemed to just realize that Itachi's middle was hanging far out past the rest of his body. His mouth fell open dumbly as his eyes traced the near perfect circle of Sasuke’s niece or nephew's current home. 

Sasuke supposed he understood the surprise. Most of the ninja from their village had not been home in months, seeing Itachi like this was probably a good shock. A reminder that there was still life going on back at home. 

“Would you like to touch?” Itachi offered him when he caught him looking.

Before Sasuke could even take a second to remind his brother that he shouldn't let random weird alphas touch his belly, the blonde was already reaching out and laying a hand right on the side.

Itachi gently took his hand and moved it to the top. “They've already turned the other way.” He explained with a smile. 

Sasuke hated to admit it, but the alpha actually looked a bit...cute. Only because he clearly had no idea what he was doing, the utter fool. It was obvious he had never felt for a kicking baby before. His hands shifted a bit back and forth, eyes wide and searching as if that would somehow help him find where the babies legs were. He was no Hyuuga though, so the effect was pretty much useless.

Itachi watched him with a motherly smile. There was no other word for it. There was a warmth and adoration behind it, close to the way Itachi had looked at Sasuke all his life, though not quite as strong. 

“Naruto. Didn't I tell you to help with the packing up?”

Naruto and Sasuke both jumped, while Itachi merely placed both his hands on his stomach and looked over to where the voice was coming from.

Just like that, Sasuke felt his mood drop and irritation take place. 

“C-Captain.” Naruto stuttered. 

“You.” Sasuke muttered darkly. 

“Shisui.” Itachi beamed. 

The smile that made his brother's eyes curl up with happiness was painful to have to witness. The twitch of his fingers, the way his foot half rose as if he wanted to go running over towards his severe looking husband.

For all his radiant warmth he was met with nothing but an icy look in return. 

He turned away from Itachi with ease to peer down at Naruto, brow cocked in silent questioning. 

“Well,” Naruto tucked his hands behind his head innocently, his grin weak and wavering. 

“He was helping me.” Sasuke interjected. Not because he felt he needed to save Naruto, and more because he liked to take any chance that he could to disprove anything Shisui said. “I told him to stop so I could talk to Itachi.” Sasuke took a step towards his brother. 

Without pause, Shisui's slightly softened look was back to a sheet of ice as he glanced back at Itachi. 

“What are you doing out of the house?” Shisui asked coldly. 

Sasuke hated the guilty expression that crossed his brother's face, of the almost pleading expression that made his lips pucker and a crease form between his brows. Sasuke moved towards him, wanting to wring him by the neck. 

“You should be at home.” Shisui continued before Itachi could even answer him. 

“C-Captain-”

Just for a second, Shisui's eyes flashed red as they moved over to Naruto with a dangerous speed. It made the hairs at the back of Sasuke's neck stand up.

“I’m talking to my wife right now.” Shisui told him, a very loud warning behind each and every one of those words. 

Naruto looked for a moment like he wanted to argue, but decided against it. 

Shisui quickly looked back to Itachi.

“Well?” He prompted. 

“Hey!” Sasuke snapped. “Don’t-” He had been gone for months, Itachi had been all alone while going through something as difficult as his first pregnancy, and now he wanted to go around and start barking his orders at Itachi. 

“No, he’s right, Sasuke,” Itachi grabbed his arm before he could take another step. “I’ll go back now.” 

Sasuke shot his brother a disbelieving look, but Itachi only had eyes for his husband. One hand was curled underneath his rounded stomach while the other clung to Sasuke’s fingers, a silent plea for him to remain quiet.

“Will you come home before you leave tomorrow?” Itachi asked, stepping closer to Shisui. The alpha took several quick paces back before he could. 

“There's no need for that. We have a place to stay.” Shisui nodded towards Naruto. “Get to work, alright?” 

Naruto nodded quickly. 

Without another word Shisui picked up his pack and swung it over his shoulder before rushing off. Sasuke wanted to run after him before wrestling him to the ground and slamming his head in with the closest rock he could find. 

His brother looked too small, standing there in the gentle snow, wrapped up in a coat too big for his body, watching his husband's back retreat from him in a still silence. 

Itachi turned to Naruto once Shisui was out of sight and gave him a shaking smile. “Sorry he was so hard on you, Naruto-kun. I hope you have a good night of rest at home. Please stay safe.” 

Before either of them could stop him, Itachi was already leaving, holding up the ends of his skirt so that he wouldn't trip over it. His legs were wrapped from knee to down into his boots with bandages, over leggings and thick socks that Sasuke had helped him into that morning. Itachi had always run cold, Sasuke was doing his best to keep him warm during these frigid times. He forced as many layers of clothing onto Itachi as he could which usually included fleece lined leggings hidden under a long skirt, with two layers of shirts and a sweater pulled on top, all tucked into his skirt and hidden under his one winter coat so they couldn't be seen.

Everything was being rationed at the moment, even their own personal yarn, thread and other sewing supplies. Sasuke wasn't sure if they would actually take away Itachi's warm clothing from him, but it wasn't impossible if they got desperate enough. No one knew how the war would turn with time. He wouldn't be pregnant forever. Sasuke wrapped him up in bandages so no one would see his thick socks or leggings. Even that was risky, bandages were a hard find at the moment. He had to unwrap them from Itachi's legs everyday and make them last as long as he could. 

“I didn't even know Shisui-san was married.” Naruto broke the silence. 

Sasuke had to remind himself that the blonde alpha standing before him was not the reason for his irritation. It was his bastard brother in law’s fault for Itachi’s pain. 

He would never forgive their father for letting him marry Itachi. He knew he wanted someone strong to take over the clan one day, since his own two sons were not ninja, but surely he could have found someone that would have been kinder to his gentle older brother. 

“Is that so?” Sasuke gritted out, the rope he had been trying to pull free for what felt like hours now finally pulling out from under the cargo laying on it. He hopped up so he stood in the back of the wagon, suddenly finding it easy to find the strength to pull the ropes and tie them together. He just imagined it was Shisui's head he was trying to squeeze instead. 

Everything that Itachi had done was out of his love, and Shisui didn't even tell people he was taken. He understood not wearing a ring when you were at war, but failing to mention your own spouse for months on end was too much. Naruto and Shisui had seemed to know each other well, to make matters even worse. 

“Didn't know he had a child either?” 

Naruto let out an awkward chuckle and reached around to scratch at the back of his head, right above where his headband was tied off. He glanced down the road, where Itachi's pregnant frame had waddled down. 

“I guess I do now.” 

Sasuke hummed and jumped down from the wagon. There was still much to be done before the day was out, so he hurried over to the next loaded wagon and unclasped the back latches, climbing in to find the ropes. 

“You don't like him, do you?” 

Sasuke nearly jumped right out of his skin. “Don't sneak up on me like that,” He hissed. 

The alpha's eyes widened and he took a quick step back. “Sorry. I didn't think I was sneaking.” He looked genuinely confused. 

Sasuke sighed and pulled the ropes free, standing in the back to pull them over the boxes of folded garments. Itachi himself had probably sewn and knitted dozens of them. 

“I can't say I’m particularly fond of him.” Sasuke answered, watching out of the corner of the eye as Naruto easily tied up several boxes in the time that it took him to do one. He supposed what they said about the speed of a ninja was true. 

Naruto nodded. “Yeah...I’ve never really seen him act like that. Shisui is intimidating but that's because he’s Uchiha Shisui, you know? I was actually really surprised by how friendly he is.”

Sasuke understood. There was once a time when he had thought Shisui was the nicest person he had ever met. It was so long ago now, a distant memory that felt almost like a dream. 

“How long have they been together?” 

Sasuke sighed, and sat down so he could reach easier. 

What a complex question that was. He wasn't sure if he knew how to answer. 

Luckily, he didn't get to answer. 

There was a scream in the distance, and when they looked, all they could see was engulfing flames. 

//

“Sorry about this.” 

Sasuke shrugged. “Idiot. It wasn't like it was your fault the barracks went up in smoke.”

They would have to rebuild it, especially now that winter was here. During the spring, summer, and early fall, they would have just made everyone sleep outside. He knew most of them were probably used to it, even in this cold weather. It wasn't like wars took place inside where there was a nice crackling fire. 

However, seeing their ninja sleeping out in the streets would be disheartening to many. Most people had a place of their own to stay, family or their own apartment. 

Instead, Shisui had insisted that his team go to the house to sleep, so they would be all together in the morning and wouldn't have to waste time finding one another, and leave early. 

He had almost looked like the old Shisui, smiling gently down at his ruffled looking subordinates, reassuring them that everything would be fine. 

Sasuke himself couldn't decide how he felt. It had been a long time since they had had someone else in the house, but then again, it had been so quiet since their parents had gone to fight, bringing Shisui and all the other ninja in the clan, new and retired, with them. 

Sasuke couldn't help but wonder how his brother would react to his husband coming home after all this time. He just hoped everything would, at the very least, be civil. In such close quarters he didn't know if he could hold himself back if Shisui did anything to upset his brother. 

He glanced over at Naruto, who had his arms crossed back behind his head and was gazing up at the frosty night sky with a tired smile on his face. Sasuke wondered what he thought, what he was feeling. If it was strange to be back home after being away for so long, or if he was relieved. 

No matter what, he knew whatever Itachi had made for them would put their minds and hearts at ease. It just had a way of doing that. 

Truly, he hoped all would go well. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a friendly reminder, if you dont like my stories, pls take full advantage of the free will you were born with and don't read them~

  
  


//

Like it had been for months, the Uchiha compound was quiet. The streets were lonely, occupied only by a few scavenging cats and the occasional bird that flew down to peer out over the barren streets most of the day. Less food meant that there was a lack of any of the usual scraps or crumbs they used to find, but they could still be caught hopefully searching. 

Itachi always felt bad for them. He would pull out the bones of any meat they got before he cooked it so he could leave it out for them. Cook up anything that was left over, any of the fish guts that were inedible, any fish skin that was unpalatable to them, and leave it out for the crows and any other birds that came along.. He always told Sasuke it was a waste to just get rid of it if something else could eat it. Sasuke liked animals well enough, he too shared his food with any strays that would wander on by him when he was eating, if they asked, but his brother took an almost ridiculous amount of time in doing those things, as if crows would care if their scraps were cut up properly or not. He had gotten even worse since Shisui and their parents had left. 

As the small group of ninja that Sasuke was leading and himself rounded the corner to their house, he saw one of the local strays hop up from over their garden wall and run in the opposite direction. One of the crows that nested in their gardens landed on the wall and cawed loudly after them until they disappeared. 

“Itachi, I’m back.” Sasuke called as he opened the door. He frowned at finding that it had been left unlocked. 

There wasn't a reply. As soon as his shoes were off, Sasuke nudged them aside and quickly stepped into the hall, leaving their guests behind. He needn't worry, at the very least Shisui should be able to lead them towards the kitchen. 

“Itachi?” 

The sound of the kitchen sink running greeted him when he took the corner, along with the heady scent of a familiar soup. The kind that made his stomach rumble even when it was heavy with worry or sickened. 

He found Itachi standing at the sink, hands raised barely above the water. A small tasting plate was in his hand, the sponge rubbing small, repetitive circles right in the center in the other. 

The water was dangerously high, nearly slopping over the sides of the basin. A few soapy strands slid down the front. 

Gently moving Itachi to the side, Sasuke turned off the water and reached down into the basin to remove the stopper. 

“Oh.” Itachi said, quietly. “Thank you.” 

“Nevermind. You should sit down for awhile.”

There was still a faint misty coating in Itachi's eyes even as he smiled. “In a bit. Let me make you a-” Itachi's eyes cleared and widened when they caught the sight of Sasuke's face. The plate fell from his hand and shattered on impact. 

“What happened?” Itachi demanded as he stepped over the mess, reaching for Sasuke’s ash smudged face. 

“Its nothing,” Sasuke tried to remove the fingers that were prying at his cheeks. 

“Your face is all burned.” 

“It's mostly the ash.” Sasuke argued, pulling his brothers hands down to the sides. “I’m fine. Everyone else got it worse.” 

Itachi's fingers trembled as they went back to Sasukes face, trying to wipe away the ash. It was still warm and bit at his sensitive skin. Sasuke knew what he was going to ask next before his lips even parted, but before he could, Itachi was being pulled away from him. 

“Come here and sit.” 

Shisui carried Itachi from the kitchen and had him at the table before Sasuke could even process he was there. 

“Shisui,” Itachi breathed. “What are you-” 

“You need to be careful.” Shisui interrupted. He kneeled and began pulling off Itachi's socks. The bottoms were covered in chunks of ceramic. 

Purple, puffy skin though normal for the current trimester, was still unpleasant to the eye. Sasuke always winced before hesitantly touching them, but Shisui showed no reluctance as he grabbed hold of Itachi's swollen feet and checked the bottoms for damage. 

A few small cuts covered the heel on one, and one of his toes was cut from top to bottom on the other, a small trail of blood pooling between the grooves. Shisui sat and brought them closer to his face to excess the damage while Itachi squirmed, hands hooking on either side of the seat while he watched with shaking eyes as the rest of their guests entered the room. 

“Shisui.” Itachi pleated weakly. 

Sasuke stepped in to save his brother's modesty before he fainted from embarrassment. He quickly stepped in front of the couple and swept Naruto and the rest of their team out into the hall, under the guise of showing them where they could clean up. 

“It makes sense.” Sai, Naruto's teammate, said as Sasuke showed them the stash of cotton swabs, ointment and bandages he had brought out. Sasuke had been busy finding a specific burn cream for the nasty one on Naruto’s cheek. He had told Sasuke that they had a medical nin on their squad too, but she had stayed behind because of the high demand. He told him that they were not such a bother that he would even ask her to waste any chakra on healing them, but Sasuke did not like the thought of them going untreated. 

“What does?” Naruto asked, while Sasuke stubbornly held him in place so he could treat his skin. 

“Why Shisui-san never talked about his marriage to us.” Sai continued with a serene smile. 

“Sai.” Naruto warned when Sasuke’s eyes darkened, the light in them disintegrating in an instant. 

“No. Let him say what he wants.” 

“Oh? I think you’re trying to be intimidating, but I can't see why I should be worried about you.”

“Sai.” Naruto pleated. “I’m begging you. For once, please shut up. You don't insult people who've let you into their home, you know?” 

“I didn't mean any harm.” Sasuke couldn't tell if he was being honest or not. “I just found it amusing. You're nearly as weak as your brother.” His lips quirked further up. “But at least he’s pretty, I guess I see why Shisui-san married him, even if they seem to be a bad match.”

Shikamaru quickly stepped between them, looking like it was the very last thing that he wanted to do. 

“Forgive him, yeah?” Shikamaru asked, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “Sai is still getting used to talking to people. He didn't mean to offend you.”

Sasuke glanced back and forth between the two of them a moment and then tore his shoulder out from underneath his hand. “Well, he did. Get him under control or get him out of my house. If he upsets my brother, I don't care how weak he thinks I am, I’ll make him regret it.” 

Shikamaru nodded and Sasuke left the room without another word. 

//

Itachi’s smile was gracious to anyone who had an untrained eye. He was tired. He hadn't expected to have so many guests, even if he had wished for Shisui to come home for the night. 

“Yes, he’s a bit heavy.” Itachi agreed pleasantly, hands smoothing out the invisible wrinkles on his clothes. “We can't be sure, of course, but my midwife is estimating he’ll be between ten to eleven pounds.” 

Several choking noises erupted around the table at that information. Sasuke had already received it, but it still made him feel a bit queasy every time he was reminded. 

“Is that big?” Naruto asked innocently. 

“Probably not for you.” Sasuke replied. “If you ask your mother, I’m sure your head weighed that alone when you were born.”

“Hey!” Naruto cried, but he was smiling ear to ear at Sasuke for reasons he could not decipher.

“It's not exactly common. But it's happened enough that we know how to handle it.”

“Are you going to be alright?” Tenten asked Itachi with a wavering smile on her face. She was several shades paler than she was originally. 

Shisui's brow pinched harshly and he quickly interrupted Itachi, who looked like he was getting ready to comfort the concerned looking girl. “Of course he is.” His tone didn't leave any room for disagreement. 

The table went dead silent for a moment, the only sound Shisui stubbornly spooning up the last dregs of his soup. 

“Do you want more?” Itachi offered Choji, finally breaking the heavy silence caused by his husband. 

The young betas face flushed a bit under Itachi's friendly smile. “Uh-”

“Thats enough.” Shisui interrupted, once again. Sasuke’s face twisted in contempt, and he resisted the strong urge to reach across the table and take his chances with successfully choking him to death, or at the very least unconsciousness. 

Just so he wouldn't have to hear his damn voice anymore. He couldn't wait until the morning came and he finally left again. 

“It's late.” Shisui said, after spooning the last dregs of his soup into his mouth. 

“Captain, we’re not tired,” Kiba suddenly whined, as Shisui looked at him as if he was ready to wrestle them all into their rooms and forcibly tuck them into bed himself if they did not adhere to his words. 

“We can have a fire.” Sasuke said, and left the table with his bowls in hand before Shisui could dare to shoot them down. 

///

Itachi and Shisui did not follow everyone else outside. Itachi and Sasuke often started a small fire at night and sat around the pit with a few cups of warm tea. He had been surprised at Sasuke's willingness to entertain their guests, but did not have much time to think about it, because he was beyond overjoyed to find that Shisui had followed him to their bedroom.

He had washed up first, and now sat on the end of the bed, wearing nothing but his towel and struggling to sort out his wet hair. 

“Shisui…”

Itachi grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt before he could stop himself. He so longed to touch his husband, to have him close. He was afraid to say it aloud, worried about how he would react. Memories of Shisui's cold voice and mocking laugh echoed in the corners of his mind and he didn't want a repetition. The heaviness in his chest never fully went away from when those times had first occurred. 

“What is it?” Shisui asked, not turning. 

“I’m just taking a bath.” Shisui said, when Itachi was still mentally fumbling to find something acceptable to say. “I’ll be back.” 

Itachi’s fingers slipped from his sleeve, and returned to sit in his lap. 

Instead of going to the bathroom quickly as Itachi had expected, Shisui stopped before the door and took off his clothing. He folded each piece as soon as he was done taking it off and sat them down on the chair that was pushed up against the wall. Itachi could never find much use for it, so he usually used it as a place to put his clothes down on when they had already been worn but were still fine enough to wear again before they needed a wash. It was clear at the moment, but Shisui placed them on the arm rather than put it down on the seat. 

When the door was closed, Itachi picked his comb back up and swept his hair back over his shoulder, making himself look at the opposite wall as he took out all the snarls. 

He must have spaced out again, because he didn't remember thinking about much by the time Shisui came back into the room and stole his attention. 

Arousal was burning underneath his skin. For months now, his body had been craving the touch of his husband. Like always, despite everything, he desired Shisui more than he could ever describe with something as limited as words. 

He had been fighting it all night. His hormones had been racing since he had first spotted his husband's head crowned with those lovely midnight curls coming towards him in the snow that afternoon. Now, they were alone, and Shsiuis scent was alive in his room after months of its absence. 

He had been lonely. He knew his struggles were nothing compared to the hell Shisui must have been going through as of late, but he had missed him in every way. 

He knew Shisui could smell him, but he didn't think he would do anything about it. They had laid together only a few times, most of them done in an effort to impregnate him. The last time had been the night before Shisui had left all those months ago. He had been a couple weeks into his pregnancy, but did not know it at the time. He had assumed that night had been a last effort to secure an heir. 

It pained him to think about, but he had never made the assumption that Shisui would remain loyal while he was away. There was no need for him to find comfort in Itachi in that way, when he was sure he had plenty of offerings on the other end of the country. Afterall, they were not always in battle. 

Itachi rose from the bed and wandered over to his dresser. He carefully went through the items on the top and put away his brush, and reached for a tie to secure his hair. 

A hand stopped him, and when he turned, his lips were immediately caught and he was moved to be pressed up against the wall besides the dresser. 

“Shisui-”

“Quiet.”

Itachi quieted. 

Shisui went down on his knees, and before Itachi’s mind could even process the sight of him like that, his legs were hooked over Shisui's shoulders and his back was firmly pressed up against the wall. 

A word of protest almost escaped him, but he realized that, despite the position, he was actually very comfortable. Shisui was fully supporting him and taking all of his weight on his shoulders, both of his hands on Itachi's lower back to support him there too. He felt surprisingly secure, and did not have the worry he would fall. 

“Itachi...can I?” Shisui’s face was pressed into his inner thigh, completely hidden from his view thanks to his middle, but he could hear him clear enough. 

He didn't really understand why Shisui would want to, but since his husband was offering, since he had wanted it for so long…

Itachi hummed in confirmation. 

“Itachi?”

“Yes?”

“Please use your words.” 

Itachi reached down, and the tips of his fingers just barely touched the top of Shisui's head. His soft curls brushed through them, and his chest nearly caved in. They were so soft, Itachi wished he could hold onto them just as he once had. 

“Yes, Shisui. You can.” 

Shisui licked him clean afterwards. Itachi laid out on their bed, splayed out while Shisui finished up his work between his spread thighs. He watched with misty eyes as Shisui carefully cleaned them both up, and then laid down next to him. 

Shisui laid beside him in silence for all of a minute before sitting back up. 

“Laying like that is bad for the child,” Shisui reminded him, and then helped Itachi go from laying on his back to on his side. When he was done, Shisui swung a leg over Itachi and climbed onto his other side. 

For the moment he had been completely on top of him, Itachi thought he could die from the warmth it made him feel. He could still feel the swipe of his tongue inside of him, the feeling of his hands on his thighs, the pleasant haziness that spread throughout his entire being. 

Once he was situated behind Itachi, he curled one arm around his extended waist, while the other slid under Itachi's head and gently pulled all of his hair back so it was out of the way. 

Itachi didn't dare say a word. He feared that if he did, Shisui would come to his senses and leave to sleep somewhere else. He stayed quiet, his body and heart equally sated, and did not let a second go by without appreciating the warmth of his husband up against him. 

////

Was he trying to get laid? 

Or maybe it was Sasuke who was. 

Despite everything he hoped for, there was always the doubt in the back of his mind that any of them would live through all of this. The tides could turn at any moment, and they often did. He might never see Naruto again, one of them could die, both of them could die. 

More than anything else, he didn't see the harm in it, if they both wanted to. 

Everyone else had already gone to bed. They had stayed out for a couple of hours, before they remembered the threat Shisui had voiced to all of them before he had turned in. 

Instead of walking back to the other side of the pit, he stopped in front of Naruto's chair, and slowly hooked one of his legs over his thigh. Their eyes met, and he paused, though the position he was in was uncomfortable. 

Naruto's throat bobbed, his fingers twitched and clenched where they were clenched around the cup that had long been emptied. Rather than watch him fumble with it, Sasuke took the mug from him and threw it unceremoniously onto the grass by the chair. Naruto's hands immediately grabbed onto his hips, and Sasuke settled into his lap without further pause. 

“You’re not married or anything, are you?” Sasuke asked. Last he knew, he wasn't, but all sorts of things happened at the front. News that wouldn't reach home for months, and news that never would. 

Naruto's eyes widened. “What? N-no.” 

“Dating anyone?”

His hands were so heavy on his hips, in the most pleasant way. It made Sasuke's shaky heart feel grounded in a way it had not since before his parents and Shisui had left, and he had promised himself he would step up and take care of Itachi when no one else could. 

“I mean, who has the time?” Fair point. His mouth was so close to being on Sasuke's neck, he pulled down the high collar of his shirt to make it easier for him and leaned closer so the alpha could latch onto his skin.

“So, no?”

“No.” Naruto confirmed. His breath was cold, Sasuke could see the fog it made. 

He wasn't a fan of the cold. Nor the excessive warmth, but he really didn't want to do it out in the open and freezing his bits off. He got up before they could go any further and reached out his hand. 

As soon as their fingers laced together, Sasuke pulled him up and began leading him through the garden. 

Naruto made a small, surprised noise when Sasuke passed up the house and instead went further towards the back of the gardens. The hidden glass shelter came into view, the lock falling loose with a click as he pushed the door open and led Naruto inside. 

He left it unlocked, since it had a habit of jamming. The warmth that caressed his skin made him sigh with relief. 

Naruto looked like he had been hit by lightning when Sasuke kicked off his shoes and then dropped his pants before hopping onto the workbench he had quickly dusted off. 

“Well?” He prompted. 

Sasuke distantly wondered if this was his first too, or if he was just the sort of alpha who was desperate no matter how many times he did it. 

“Better than doing it out there, huh?” 

Naruto's kiss was answer enough. He fumbled for a flicker of a second to keep up with him, hands coming up to grab onto his broad shoulders for some balance. Naruto's arms curled around his waist and pulled him closer. 

They didn't have a lot of time. Naruto had to leave early in the morning, and he had already kept him up longer than the others. Sasuke really didn't mind. Every gentle touch made his skin erupt in goosebumps, made his stomach flutter and his abdomen squirm and warm. 

When Naruto finally pulled away to pull his shirt further to the side and rest his lips against his neck, Sasuke’s hands lowered to toy with the hem of the alphas uniform pants. Before he could get them down more than a couple of centimeters, Naruto came and rested their foreheads together. 

“Have you done this before?” In the low light, with heat behind them, his eyes had darkened to the color of the Naka river when the sun had fallen. 

“Does it matter?” Sasuke leaned back a bit. 

A small shock went through him when Naruto pulled away and he saw how serious he had suddenly become. He felt himself become shy from the intensity in his eyes. 

“It does.”

Warmth that wasn't from the greenhouse grew across his face and his gaze faltered. His shoulders rose and went inward, shrinking underneath his gentle words. It was nothing to be embarrassed about, he knew that, but when he nodded to confirm he hadn't, his eyes were on the potted marigolds growing behind Naruto rather than his face. 

A warm finger brushing underneath his eye made him look up. 

“I just want to make sure you're comfortable. The position we’re in isn't that good for your first time.” 

Oh. 

“You could have just said that.”

Naruto grinned. “Ah, sorry, sorry. Did I make you worry?”

Sasuke huffed and slid down from the workbench, completely ignoring the question. He wouldn't admit to anything. “So what's better, then?” 

Naruto grabbed him by the hips and turned him around. A small gasp left him as he was bent over, his full upper body splayed over the top and the tips of his toes just brushing against the ground. 

“This would be best.”

Sasuke swallowed. His insides all seemed to shake “F-fine.” 

“Comfortable?” 

Sasuke had the urge to beg him to just fuck him already, because if the alpha was this kind to him one more time he didnt think he would be able to _not_ cry, but he fought himself back. 

He had to remind himself that not every alpha was really kind. Plenty of them were nice enough to you until you let them in your pants, and then they treated you like you were a chore. He made himself not think about Shisui and his brother.

This was different, he told himself again and again. He didn't want anything from Naruto. Just this, this was enough. It didn't matter if he was nice to him afterwards. He’d probably never even see him again. If they did, it would be passing. No one would ever have to know what they did together tonight, and it wouldn't matter in the long run. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Naruto whispered when he finally sunk into him some time later, and Sasuke had to turn his face back around so the alpha wouldn't see how the tears he had been holding back finally spilled over. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt rly take the time to write it in, but basically shisuis team is the konoha eleven plus sai. the reason none of their senseis are the captain is bc theyre all of higher rank and have more responsibilities, so shisui as a captain is in charge of them. also not all of them were there, it was just shisui, naruto, choji, tenten, shikamaru, kiba and sai bc the entire time wasnt needed for a supply run, etc 
> 
> oh sai....always the instigator 
> 
> i hope this chapter was enjoyable and put some light on a few things, or at least hinted at them. pls let me know what u thought~


	3. Chapter 3

A pained moan disrupted the quiet of the darkened bedroom. 

Itachi shifted in bed, a whine falling from his open mouth as he got nothing in return but a sharp tug at the scalp. Disorientated by mid consciousness, he gave a few more tugs of his head, finding each time that there was nothing but pain as a result. Another whine came as his eyes snapped open. Irritated from being woken so early, his voice was much sharper than it usually was when he spoke to his husband, finally realizing what the problem was. 

“Shisui, you’re on my hair.” He snapped, and gave another irritated tug in an attempt to free himself. 

Shisui groaned against his shoulder and shuffled behind him. He moved back enough that he could slide his hand underneath the hair trapped underneath his head and lifted himself off of it just long enough to free all of it from underneath it and then laid back down, eyes still closed as Itachi's hair fell back down all over his face. 

“Sorry, ‘Tachi…” Shisui mumbled, not seeming bothered by the fact he was being smothered, and nuzzled back against the back of his shoulder, arms tightening around Itachi's waist for a brief second before his breathing evened back out. 

Itachi's heart padded anxiously, finally realizing how sharply he had spoken to Shisui. He peeked over his shoulder, but Shisui seemed to have already fallen back asleep. It was hard to tell with Itachi's hair covering most of his face and the other half shoved against Itachi, but his eyelids seemed to be closed and still. 

Either he hadn't noticed, or it hadn't bothered him. Shisui had never really been the kind of alpha to become aggressive when his mate misbehaved, rather, he seemed to become irritated for things that Itachi had difficulty identifying. Rather than punish Itachi by yelling at him or something physical, he was much more likely to either scold him or simply ignore him. That, Itachi thought, was punishment in and of itself. 

Still...he didn't think he had ever talked to Shisui like that before. 

Itachi sighed as he felt the fluttering warning signs of his son beginning to wake up. He usually slept when Itachi did, but was quick to wake if Itachi moved around too much in his sleep. Once he had figured that out, he started sleeping with pillows around him in an effort to keep himself in place. It was helpful, but there were still days when he was forced to wake earlier then he would have liked it and had to satisfy himself with a nap later in the day when the baby had finally calmed a bit. 

Just another moment or so, and then he would be subjected to painful kicking for at least an hour or so. He was nearly always energetic when he woke up, forcing Itachi to get up and move around to soothe him. 

It was at the point Itachi could feel every movement he made, they were sharing a very limited room, after all, but he usually did not cause Itachi too much trouble. The main exception was when he first woke up. 

The other occasion was whenever Itachi’s emotions took a sharp, sudden turn. The night before he had been restless, doing somersaults while Itachi had been trying to eat dinner and entertain their houseguests. 

Any sudden irritation, anxiety, fear or even excitement would have him assaulting Itachi's ribs mercilessly. Nights when he could not sleep because he was worried about Shisui were the most troublesome, he would have to pace his room and pet his stomach just to try and soothe his equally anxious child. He would then feel bad for making him feel anxious, remembering that his midwife had told him that the baby could feel everything he was feeling. 

He tried to keep himself calm and happy, but it was hard. 

Feeling the first swift kick to the ribs, Itachi began to struggle to sit up. It was still early, and there was no need for Shisui to lose sleep too, especially since he had to leave in just a few hours. 

Before he could raise himself onto his elbow, he felt Shisui's hands fall from where they had been holding around his waist, and run over his bump. 

“Be good for your mom and go back to sleep,” Shisui whispered. He had slid himself down too, his head now resting on Itachi's side. His hands were firm as they ran over Itachi’s stretched skin. Itachi twitched, embarrassed to have his bare skin on display like this. Stretch marks scattered all over his sides and the underside of his stomach, angry and red despite the fact he made sure to use the creams his midwife had given him every morning and night. 

Shisui didn't seem to notice even as his hands cradled right over them. 

Itachi considered telling Shisui that it was a lost cause. Sasuke had tried soothing his nephew with his voice many times, since he didn't seem to want to listen to Itachi, but it never worked. Itachi either had to walk around or stroke over where his son was kicking until he got the hint and stopped, or both. Sometimes neither worked and he would just have to wait him out. 

He hoped he would learn to listen once he was born and got a bit older. 

So it was a surprise when the kicking came to a sudden stop, and he could feel his son give a few faint wiggles before slowing down. 

“There you go. Sleeping is nice, huh?” Shisui whispered, thumb stroking over the underside of Itachi's stomach, right where he knew his son's head had been resting the last couple of weeks. “Mom and I love to sleep, so please learn to do the same.” 

A surprised, breathless laugh pushed past Itachi's lips. Shisui sounded like his old self. That carefree, humorous way of talking that warmed up everyone's heart. That didn't make anyone second guess that Shisui was a person with an endlessly good natured, friendly spirit. 

Itachi's fingers twitched, fighting the urge to reach down and touch Shisui's rumbled curls. He still had strings of Itachi's hair clinging to him. He wondered if using the excuse of untangling their hair would be accepted as an excuse. 

Shisui didn't seem like he was going to come back up, and even though just a moment ago he would have liked to go back to sleep too, he found himself cranking his neck to look down to watch him instead. 

Distantly, he found himself wondering if their baby would get Shisui's curls or not.

///

Sasuke woke to a heavy weight on top of him.

At first he thought it was Itachi. Usually, he was the one who went to his older brother's room in the middle of the night, but there had been a few times since their parents and Shisui had left that he had found his brother anxiously wound around him. Sometimes he was asleep, but most of the time he was wide awake, watching over Sasuke while he slept. 

Sasuke didn't know for certain as to why. He assumed it was to soothe some maternal instinct. Or maybe Itachi just felt anxious from having most of their family being away and wanted to make sure who he had left was all in one piece. 

It was once he realized that the weight was literally right on top of him, head to toe, that he knew it wasn't Itachi. Unless Itachi had spontaneously given birth in the few hours he had been asleep or he was laying on him with them back to back, it couldn't be Itachi. Plus, the figure on him was a bit too light for Itachi's current state. 

His head slowly rose from his pillow, heart hammering anxiously as he momentarily panicked, mind running through a thousand different scenarios of who it could be and what he would be able to do about it. 

It all came to a shuddering stop when the weight against his neck shifted and blond hair appeared in the corner of his eye. 

What happened the night before came back to him all at once, and his face warmed. 

His hand reached out, clutching the edge of his mattress while he carefully tried to pull himself out from underneath the alpha laid on top of him. 

He got about halfway across the bed before an arm looped around his waist and pulled him back. 

He hadn't noticed before, but they were both extremely naked. Now, with their bodies sliding up against one another, a hardness pressing against the back of his ass, it was all too obvious. 

“Where are you going?” Naruto mumbled in his ear. 

His entire body felt too hot. Naruto was unfairly warm despite the chill outside, despite the fact they hadn't slept with anything on them, the sheets and the comforter all wrinkled up at the end of the bed by their feet. 

“I…” Sasuke floundered. It was a lot of pressure to expect for his brain to be fully functioning. It was early, he had just woken up, and when he held him like this he could see every twitch of Naruto's forearms. 

Looks had never been on the top of his list in the few times he had considered what he might look for in an alpha. Looks were fleeting, and deceiving. Shisui was unfairly handsome, omegas in and outside of the clan had all fawned after him, and just look at the type of person he was. He would take pretty much anyone over an alpha with a nice face who ignored him all the time. 

Really. He didn't know what his brother saw in him. Itachi didn't care about looks that much either, it couldn't be that, that wasn't enough for just how horrible his attitude around his mate was. 

Naruto wasn't just good looking, he was nice and pleasant to be around, and he found himself wondering how he had gotten here. 

“Bathroom?” Naruto offered once Sasuke didn't say anything for a moment. 

“Yeah.” He lied smoothly. 

“Mmm..” Naruto’s arm loosened and he immediately rolled to freedom. 

The moment his feet touched the ground, he regretted ever getting up. It was mostly all in his thighs, which burned like fresh hell. His footing wobbled but he managed to right himself, adjusting his weight around until he managed to walk somewhat comfortably to the bathroom. 

Now that he had a moment to think, he was actually surprised he wasn't in more pain. There was a light ache throughout his pelvis, and a slight discomfort between his legs when he walked, but nothing like he had thought it would be. 

Everything considered, he hadnt thought about sex too much in his life. The morning afters in the few erotica he had read in half interest, he was realizing now, were probably exaggerated and dramaticized for entertainment purposes. His mother had taken it upon herself to give him a brief education after his first heat, but she hadn’t gone into too much detail and he had repressed much of that day out of sheer humiliation. 

He had never had the nerve to ask Itachi anything more than his mother had told him. It was bad enough his brother had been present when he had had his first heat, and he had felt the need to give Sasuke a very long educational talk about being prepared and aware even while he felt like his guts were being turned inside out. 

Which was pointless, because Itachi himself had already given him all the pre puberty talks he would ever need in his life a few years before that. 

Naruto, for the most part, had been gentle. He could tell that it had been a strain to keep a slower pace by the way his hands would tighten on Sasuke's hips, but he had concentrated on making Sasuke feel good instead of worrying about himself. 

Sasuke sank underneath the water of his bath, cheeks reddening as his mind wandered. 

///

“Shisui…”

“Hm?” Shisui answered as he pulled up his pants. 

“Did you...have you thought about what to name him yet?” Itachi asked tentatively. 

He was hoping that Shisui would show an interest in naming their son. Sasuke had told him more than once that Itachi should just do it himself, but he ignored his little brother. He wanted Shisui to name their child, just like their father had named both of them. If Sasuke desired to name his own children himself one day, he could do what he pleased, but Itachi had long decided that he wanted to leave this to Shisui. 

Surprise briefly shadowed across Shisui's face, but it quickly passed. 

“Did you want me to do that?” He turned away from Itachi, reaching for his shirt. 

“I...wrote it in my letters, didn't I?” Itachi had mentioned it more than once, he was sure. He knew Shisui had a lot to handle, but he had been hoping he would find some time for this. 

“I thought you might have changed your mind.” 

“I didn't.” Itachi said.

“I’ll think about it again then.”

Itachi opened and then closed his mouth. Anxiety crawled its way through his stomach and he could feel the baby start to move in retaliation. There wasn't much longer until he was born, and he didn't even have a name yet. How long would he have to wait until after he was born to have a name? Shisui might not be able to tell him for weeks. 

He sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, bandages and socks in his hands as a means to distract himself. He rose his foot off the ground as far as it would go, and then bent his body forward. 

There was a good yard between him and ever hoping to reach his feet. 

“Don't strain yourself like that.”

Shisui came, now fully dressed, and snatched away the materials in his hand. He pressed down on itachi's foot until he had to put it down and then sat between them, taking one purplish foot in hand and beginning to unfold the wrappings. 

He got halfway through it before he clicked his tongue and discarded the bandages off to the side and got back up.

Shisui came back a moment later with his weapons pouch.After taking out far too many shuriken and kunai for Itachi to ever comprehend how they all fit in there Shisui shook the bag and a few sealed packs of fresh bandages came rolling out. 

Itachi watched, wondering what he could be doing, until Shisui began unwrapping the fresh bandages and took Itachi's foot back in hand, starting to wrap the end around his midcalf. 

“Shisui don't you-”

“We can spare a few bandages, Itachi.” Shisui silenced him. “You should change yours more often. Even if they're not visibly dirty, they could carry bacteria.” Shsiui moved onto the other foot after putting on Itachi’s sock for him. 

“But…” Itachi pressed the tip of his toes into the floor anxiously. “Those are a necessary item for the front. We’re not allowed to have more than we need.” 

“You’re pregnant. Before and after you give birth, you need them. Have you been going without supplies? Once you have the child you’ll be bleeding for weeks. Have you and Sasuke stocked up on what you’ll need for that?”

Itachi flushed. He didn't realize Shisui knew about that kind of thing. 

Shisui released a heavy sigh, one that said far more than any words ever could. 

His movements were much more quick and familiar then his or Sasuke could ever hope to be. Of course they would be, he did this to his own body nearly everyday, though for very different reasons. Once he was done with Itachi's feet, Shisui took the last few fresh wraps and left them on the table, all except two that he used on his own body. 

//

As soon as Sasuke finished washing up and dressing, he went to the kitchen. 

Naruto had fallen back asleep by the time he came out, so he had quietly escaped as fast as he could. 

He had no idea what he was supposed to do or say not that they had slept together. They had gotten up to it once in the greenhouse, and when Sasuke had brought them back to his room to sleep, they had somehow ended up doing it again. 

He hadn't planned on it. It had just happened. Naruto was far better than he had expected. The alpha's touch made all sensible reasoning leave his mind. 

He was relieved to find that hardly anyone was awake. Itachi was hovering over the stove, and Shisui, Sai, Tenten, Kiba and his dog were the only ones seated around the table. The dog was already breaking apart a raw bone that still had a few meat hangings on it. 

Sasuke bypassed them without a word and went to Itachi instead. 

He peered inside the pot on the stove, seeing that Itachi had combined what was left of the meat he had brought in a few days ago with some miso broth along with leeks and an array of wild mushrooms he had picked on the same he had gone hunting. 

“Taste.” Itachi offered him a tasting plate that matched the one he had dropped the night before without looking at him. 

Sasuke took it and hummed in appreciation.

“You’re cooking is always good.” 

Itachi hummed and stirred the pot, before turning down the heat. 

“I just wish we had more to offer them.” Itachi said, and Sasuke knew that he wanted to be able to impress Shisui and the people working underneath him. He didn't know why his brother even cared so much. If Sasuke had a husband like Shisui, he would sooner want to lace his breakfast with poison. 

“This is more than enough. Make sure you eat plenty.” 

At that moment, Naruto decided to come into the room, followed by a yawning Shikamaru and Choji. As everyone said their morning greetings, Sasuke hurried over to the sink, running the water so he wouldn't hear the alphas' sleepy voice rasping. 

“Sasuke, I needed that back.” Itachi called. 

Sasuke washed it as calmly as he could manage, and then carried it back over to Itachi, who had finally flicked off the heat. 

After placing it down by Itachi, Sasuke went to step away, but he was stopped by Itachi telling him to wait a moment. When he turned back, Itachi placed a hand on his face, squishing his cheeks together. His eyes lit up with amusement as he looked up at Sasuke. 

“Do you have something you want to talk about, little brother?” 

Sasuke yanked his face away. “No.”

“No?” Itachi asked. “Not even why you have a limp?”

“I do  _ not.”  _ Sasuke hissed as Itachi covered his face to stifle his laughter. 

“Go and get me the bowls, alright?” Itachi turned away from him, a smug smile on his face. 

“Itachi.” Sasuke hissed, but did as he was told anyways. 

Itachi was just messing with him. He had to be. 

Itachi always seemed to just know things, but this was different, there was no way he would be able to tell. He had told Naruto to not leave any marks above the neck, and the alpha had been very respectful and followed his wishes without comment. 

“Oh, Naruto, do you think you could help me for a moment?’

A chill ran up Sasuke's spine as the alpha answered cheerfully, rushing over to see what was for breakfast while Sasuke dumped the bowls down on the counter by the pot. He scambered out of the way and went to hover by the sink again, preparing himself to wash the few dishes Itachi had used. 

“Can you carry these for me? My balance is kind of…” 

“Your balance was just fine yesterday carrying two bowls.” Sasuke muttered to himself darkly. 

“Yeah, of course.” Naruto said, taking the offered bowls and bringing them over to the table. Immediately, a fight broke out over who would get to them first. It didn't last long under Shisui's supervision. Sai and Tenten got theirs first, innocent smiles on their faces while Choji and Kiba fought back complaints that they didn't dare let fall under Shisui's watchful gaze. 

“Thank you. Sasuke, can you help me with the tea?”

“They already have tea.”

“Sasuke.”

Sasuke shut off the water and shuffled over. 

//

“Hey.” 

Sasuke paused. He was mostly outside to keep an eye on Itachi, who was hovering around the gate, watching Shisui and the rest go through their bags. He was doing his best to not look at Sai, who had somehow found a way to annoy him this early in the morning. 

“Hey.” He glanced at Naruto. 

The alpha smiled at him, gentler than he had expected. He didn't know how he felt about it.

Was the alpha making himself be nice before he felt like he had to? That he had some kind of duty to Sasuke since he had taken his virginity or something like that? Sasuke wasn't too hung up over losing it. He never planned on giving it to just anyone, but giving it to a hot guy he would probably never see again didn't seem that bad to him either. 

“Um…” Naruto wasn't the kind of person to hesitate. Maybe they really didn't know each other well enough for Sasuke to assume that, but for some reason, he just knew that he wasn't. 

“Is your body alright?” 

Sasuke blinked at him. 

“It's fine.”

Naruto stepped even closer. “Did I hurt you at all?”

Just for a moment, he felt like someone had pushed him down the stairs. Before you actually hit the ground at the bottom or even the stairs going down, your head spinning with a thousand fleeting thoughts, that drop of both your stomach and your heart as you instinctively knew nothing was awaiting you but pain and maybe even death. But for someone, in the second before you hit, your entire body felt euphoric. 

“No.” The slight aches and pains didn't count, as far as he was concerned. 

They felt good. 

“Oh. Okay.” Naruto reached behind his head and ruffled his blond hair. “Good.” His smile left no room to question that he didn't mean it. “So do you want to maybe-”

“Naruto! Lets go!” 

They both looked down the walk. Shisui and the rest were already down the street. Shikamaru alone stood outside the gate, pointedly looking at Naruto and Naruto even. 

“I just-”

“Naruto!” 

“Damn.” Naruto turned back to him, his smile apologetic. 

“It's alright.” Sasuke assured him. “Just go.” 

For a split second, Sasuke considered kissing him. Considered telling him to stay safe, considered asking him if he wanted them to see each other again if they both made it out of all of this alive, but instead he just waved him off towards the gate. 

Naruto took a few steps back, eyes going back and forth between Shikamaru who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else except there, and to Sasuke, who could think of a million things he might want to say to him but decided to say not a single one. 

Itachi suddenly came towards them, moving faster than he had in the last half year. For a second Sasuke thought he had come just for the sake of teasing them, but instead he brushed past them both, shoulders curled up around his ears and body trembling. 

“Itachi?” Sasuke called, brow pinched. 

Nothing but a muffled sob answered him before Itachi disappeared into the house. 

“What did that bastard- I have to go,” Sasuke told Naruto, and turned to follow Itachi back into the house. 

“Sure! But do you think we could maybe wri-” Sasuke closed the door before he could hear what else the alpha had to say.    
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i literally have no idea what to name shiitas baby. i might just end up figuring it out myself but if anyone felt like leaving their name suggestions that would also be nice~ 
> 
> i think next chapter will be a little more focused on shiitas past, but im not 100% decided. that or it'll be concentrated on shisui, naruto, the war, how things are going over there, etc.

**Author's Note:**

> let me just apologize for shisui now felfklkdld
> 
> itachi in skirt bc skirt comfy and pretty. also i saw fanart of itachi in a long skirt and i am obsessed. but wearing skirts is probably also just easier. sasuke already has to help him put on his leggings, socks, bandages and shoes anyways, poor bby


End file.
